Row at hospital leads to an assault

Carol Denise Maureen Nobbs, Clonmeen, Craigavon, admitted unlawful assault on December 7 last year.

She was sentenced to three months in prison suspended for 18 months.

The court heard that at 8pm police received a report that a female had been assaulted at the accident and emergency department at Craigavon Area Hospital.

They spoke to the injured party who said she had been assaulted by the sister of her ex-partner.

On CCTV an altercation was observed but Nobbs denied that any physical assault took place.

She claimed there was a verbal dispute between the two parties.

There were no visible injuries to the injured party and no medical attention was required.

Mr Gabriel Ingram, representing the defendant, said she had not been before the courts for some considerable time.

He explained that Nobbs had been at the hospital with a friend to see another friend who had been hospitalised that day.

He added that the ex-partner of her brother approached her car.

Nobbs had a child in the back and the injured party began remonstrating about her brother, using profane language which caused the child to start crying.

Mr Ingram said the injured party went towards the hospital and Nobbs was remonstrating with her. There was give and take on both sides.

District Judge, Mr Peter King, said that the aggravating feature was that this happened at a hospital and the message had to go out that this was not acceptable regardless of the background.

Later in the court bail was set for the defendant to appeal against the sentence.